Beckie Marie Oliva

Published: 2013.07.31 11:00 PM

Eagle River’s Beckie Oliva died June 19, 2013. She was 52.

“Beckie usually wasn’t the center of attention nor the loudest one in the room,” her family wrote. “But it wouldn’t take long for you to notice her and be struck by her warm spirit, confident smile and accepting nature. Humble, but not unsure of herself, Beckie had a sort of strength that is not commonly accompanied by the warmth and love that so defined her character. Not to mention her intellect, matched only by her seemingly unending patience to deal with whatever stresses came her way.”

She worked for many departments of the State of Alaska, retiring after 30 years of service. She met her husband of 35 years, Ralph, when they were in high school, and the couple had three children, Anthony, 28, Amber, 26, and Sebastian, 24.

Although she never smoked or drank, Beckie was diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time in February, a more aggressive and rare form than she’d previously beaten. Her husband was at her side while she endured chemotherapy, and her children traveled from Vermont, the Middle East and Thailand to be with her. Her family said she participated in a pair of clinical trials and was an organ donor.

“Even in Beckie’s last few months when she suffered constant and often intense pain, she courageously maintained her same calm, positive determination, her husband and family by her side caring for her constantly,” her family wrote. “Beckie didn’t focus on the difficulties of her situation, but rather her love for her family, and the good things she wanted to live for.”

She enjoyed sewing, singing, cooking/baking and the outdoors. She sewed everything from quilts to clothes for friends and family, and shared her love for singing by starting her own karaoke business, “O’Liv-A-Dream” with her husband.

“Beckie was her true self to the very end,” her family wrote. “Though her body may have succumbed to cancer, her heart and mind never did.”

She is survived by her husband, Ralph, who was with her when she died, as well as her three children, Anthony, Amber and Sebastian; parents, Larry and Shirley Buchholz; and brothers, Paul (wife Elise) and Mark.

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